Automatic danger-signal for railways.



W. M. PERKINS. I AUTOMATIC DANGER- SIGNAL FOR R AILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, I915.

Patented Mar. 28,1916.

Wihwooao THE COLUMBIA PLANDURAPH c0" WASHINGTON. D. c.

WILLIAM M. PERKINS, OF NORTH MANCHESTER, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC DANGER-SIGNAL FOE RAILWAYS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVILLIAM M. PERKINS, acitizen 'of the United States, residing at North Manchester, in thecounty of WVabash and State of Indiana, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Automatic Danger-Signals for Railways; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, 7

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable othersskilled in thea-rt to whichit appertains to make and use the same. i V rThis invention is in the nature ofan automatic danger signal forrailways.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, durableand thoroughly practicable mechanism for operating danger signals onrailways.

- A further object is to provide, in connection with such operativemechanism i for dangerfsignals, a lighting system whereby whenthe dangersign is exposed, a warning light will be also operated.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement andcombinatlon of the parts of and after- Inorder that the construction and operand will be now specificallydescribed in connection Withsaiddrawings, in which,

Figure 1, represents in elevation, partly in section, an approvedmechanism for carryingout my invention, the connecting parts fOf themechanism being broken out to shorten the figure. Fig. 2, a top planview of. a" portion of .the system including the road bedmechanis'm foroperating the signal 1 levers. Fig.3, an elevation of the primary signaloperating mechanism, Fig. 4, a view 45 of theopposite side of thehousing from that shown in Fig. 1, and, Fig. is an end elevation of ahousingused in connection with my improved signallng mechanism withparts attached thereto. 50

Like characters of reference mark the same parts in all of the figuresof the drawings.

Inthis specification, to the right, on Figs. 1, 2 and 3, will beconsidered as forward and to the left as rearward, in referring to theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6. 1915. Serial No. 26,196.

pivoted along sideof the rails 5 in a posi- .tion to be passed over by aforwardly mov- 'ing train before reaching the middle mecha- PatentedMar. 28, 1916.

movement ofa train over the track, such directions being reversed inFig. 4.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 5 indicates the ordinary railwayrails and 6 across bar or weight in substantially the posltion of across tie, connecting the two rails at the middle point of my mechanism.

7, 7, indicate levers or false rails pivoted as at 8 to the side of oneof the rails and extending toward each other to a point 8 just above thecross bar 6, sufficient space being'left at this point to permit theinner en'ds9 of the false rails 7 to be pressed down upon the cross bar6. At 10 is erected alongside the railway, a standard in which isjournaled on a pivotal pin 11 an elbow lever which comprises arms 12 and13. The arm 12 is attached by a rod or link 14 to the outer end of crossbar 6 at the point 8, Fig. 2, while the arm 13 is connected to a rod orcable 15 which passes over a pulley 18 mounted in a frame or housing 19,and is connected at its lower end to a weight 20 in the housing. Asimilar cable 21 connected to the weight 20 passes upward over a pulley22 and outward, its outer end being connected at 23 with a danger signalor gate bar 241 pivoted to the housing.

At 25, a latch 26 is pivoted to the housing which, atits inner end, asat 27, is connected 'by a link 28 to anelbow lever pivoted at 51 to thereverse side, of the housing, said elbow lever being connected at itsopposite end, as at 52, to a cable 15 which extends rearwardly, beyondthe standard 10, to the primary operating mechanism of my system,

as inFig. 8, consisting of an elbow lever having an arm 13, to which thecable 15 is securedand an arm 12 pivoted at 11 to a standard 10' and anelbow weighted lever 7 nism before described. The arm 12 is connected bya link 14 to a cross bar 6 which is pressed down when the elbow weightedlever is tiltedby a passing train todepress" said cross bar. A pin 29projects from the side of the housing in the path of the latch 26 whichserves to limit its downward movement to a proper operative position.

At 30,'a latch 31 is pivotally connected to the housing which serves,when the danger signal or gate bar 2 1 is lowered and in operativeposition, as shown in dotted lines in 110 connected at 33 by means of alink Btwith a lever 35 pivotedat 32 to the housing, having '5 a weightedend 36 and carrying at its outer end, as at 37, suitable links and rods38 which connect it at 39 with the meeting ends I of the two levers orfalse rails 40, 10. The rails 40, are of a construction similarto thelevers 7, 7, and pivoted in 'a likemanner at 11, ell to the sides of therail.

The operation of the mechanism thus 'far described maybe described asfollows'cz VVith the parts in the position illustratedinFig. 1,

the danger signal or: gate bar 2i 1 is raised indicating that thecrossmg at wh ch sald signal is located is safe to be used by p" ssinganimals and vehicles. A'train approach-in as from the left in Fig. 1,the wheels running upon the rails 5 will tilt the weighted elbow lever 77*,and depress the cross bar G and thus draw downward the connectinglink-14c, whereby the elbow lever will be operated'on its pivot swingingthe arm 13'tothe left, drawing on the cable 15 swinging the elbowleveron its pivot, drawing down on'link 28 and raising the latch 26 oilthe signal or gatebar 24:. In continuing its passage to' the right overthe rails5 the train will ride over false rails 7, 7, depressing crossbar 6,

drawing down 011 arm 12 of the elbow lever, swinging the arm 13-tliereofto therleft and carrying with it the connecting rodor cable 15, and atthe same time raisingthe weight 'allowing the cable 21 to'slack whichwill permit the danger signal or gate bar 243to drop to the dangerposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the danger signal 7reaches its operative position as shown in dotted lines in Fig; 1, itwill be engaged by the latch 31 which is formedwith an upward andoutwardly extending end which engages the outer edge of'th'e signal 24and held down normally in that position by the weight 36 on thelever-35. The engineor train continuingtomove toward'the right will nowride up on the levers lOor 'false rails, depress them at their point ofjunction 39, draw downthe outer end of the lever 35, pulldown on link orrod a lows]: the inner end of the latch 31 and release said latch fromthe danger signal or gate ger signal 24 into position, shown in full'linesin Fig. 1, where it will be engaged by the latch 26 and held inthat position until another engine or train operates the levers 7 7, and7, 7. A weighted elbow lever similar to the lever 7*, may be substitutedfor the false rails 40, 40, iii-desired. Inorder to combine anilluminating signal with the continued at 45 to a contact plate lo onthe 79 signal. This circuit is completed by another wire 17 extendingfrom the battery up a post 48 to a contact plate 49 on said post. Thetwo plates 46 and 49 are in con "tact'when'the'danger signal is down, orin,

operative position, as shown indotted lines 1 in Fig. l,'and the circuitis completedso that the lamp 44 will be lighted whenever ithe'dangr'signal. is down. VVhenT the: danfger signal is' raised, however, toinoperative, 30 position, the plate46 isjmoved off'the plate- {l9, th'isbreaking the circuit and putting out the light. I V V v 7' Theconstruction, practicability, economy fandf'du'rability of themechanismtempt ss5,

and arrangement of the partswithout de- -eo f parting from thespiritand'thesoopeofthei invention. a

Having thus fully describedmy invention ,whatI claim as newan'd desiretosecureby 'Letters'Patent is .i .95

1. 'In a railway signah the combinatidnf 10f a' weight, two cables.extendingupward 15mm s'aidf weight, a signal board I connected to oneof said oables,an elbow lever actuated by the passage of a trainand-conneetedw w to, theother cable, a-latch for holdingthe signal boardin raised or'inoperativeiposinon, means for releasinglthe Manateeweighted latchnormally holding thetsignal board in depressed oroperative position.

a weight,xtwo cables extending upwardiroin said weight, a pivoted signalboard connected to one of said cables an elbow leveractuated by thepassage ofa trainand con- ,1, nected to theother cable, a latch forhold- I mg the signal'board in raised or inoperative position, means forreleasing the latch, a weighted latch normally holding the signal boardin depressed or operative position,'a:;} pa1r of"depressible leverspivoted to the sidefof the railway rail, anintermediate pivoted leverconnected at its outer end to V the'meeting ends of the saidpair. oflevers,

and a link connecting therintermediate le-tt V ver to the last namedlatch; V

3. automatic signal system comprising a-housing, a signal board pivotedthereto, a

weight in the housing, a connection froin' the signal boardto theweight, a pair Of1 7 'false railspivoted to the track, a weighted crossba'r under the false rails, a standard, an elbow lever pivoted thereon,a link c on- -necting one arin of the elbow lever t o the cross bar, andacableeonneeting the otherz i 1- 1 2. In a railway signal, thecombinationof j arm of the elbow lever to the weight in the housing. 7

4. An automatic signal system comprising a housing, a signal boardpivoted thereto, a weight in the housing, a connection from the signalboard, to the weight, a pair of false rails pivoted to the track, aweighted cross bar under the false rails, a standard, an elbow leverpivoted thereon, a link connecting one arm of the elbow lever to thecross bar, a cable connecting the other arm of the elbow lever to theweight in the housing, a latch pivoted in the housing, adapted to holdthe signal board down, a weighted lever pivoted in the housing, a linkconnecting the pivoted lever with the latch, a pair of false rails atthe housing, a cross bar under the false rails, and connections betweenthe cross bar and the weighted lever.

5. An automatic signal system comprising a housing, a signal boardpivoted thereto, a weight in the housing, a connection from the signalboard to the weight, a pair of false rails pivoted to the track, aweighted cross bar under the false rails, a standard, an elbow leverpivoted thereon, a link connecting one arm of the elbow lever to thecross bar, a cable connecting the other arm of the elbow lever to theweight in the housing, a weighted elbow lever pivoted to the rail inadvance of the false rails, a cross bar under said weighted elbow lever,a standard, an elbow lever pivoted on the standard, connections betweenone arm of the elbow lever and the cross bar, a latch in the housing tohold the signal board up, an elbow lever pivoted in the housing,connections between one arm of the elbow lever and the latch, andconnections between the other arms of the two elbow levers whereby torelease the latch when the weighted elbow lever is tilted by a train.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM M. PERKINS.

Witnesses: E. A. EBBINGHAUS,

' J. A. CLEVENGER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D; G.

